Catholic Schools Week Supplement

2008-09 facts about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis

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Archdiocesan Administration

The Secretariat for Catholic Education and Faith Formation of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis includes the Office of Catholic Education (OCE), the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), St. Mary’s Child Center and Mother Theodore Catholic Academies.

The Office of Catholic Education oversees and provides leadership, resources and policy guidance for Catholic schools, parish faith formation programs, evangelization ministries, youth ministry, and young adult and college campus ministry with the counsel of the Archdiocesan Education Commission.

Special programs operating under the auspices of OCE are the continuation and replication of Project EXCEED, a grant-funded school improvement initiative (2001-06); A Promise to Keep, a sexual abstinence program with St. Vincent Health; and SPRED, the Special Religious Development program serving developmentally disabled parishioners.

Office of Catholic Education

The Office of Catholic Education was formed in 1974 when the former school office and office of religious education were combined into one of the first offices of “Total Catholic Education” in the nation.

Under Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and in consultation with the Archdiocesan Education Commission, the OCE utilizes a team management approach in support of the teaching mission of the Church—“learning, teaching and sharing our faith.”

In 2002, youth and young adult ministry were added to the OCE mission. In 2003, evangelization ministries were added. Young adult and college campus ministry became separate from youth ministry programs within OCE in 2008.

Support for local site-based programs is provided through direct service, resources, consultation, training, community-building and collaboration with constituents in the parishes and schools in conjunction with other archdiocesan agencies.

Major constituencies include pastors, principals, parish administrators of religious education, youth ministers, and members of school and faith formation commissions and high school boards.

Constituents are involved collaboratively in projects to design and develop curriculum, provide in-service training, produce manuals and guidelines, and to foster applied professional development.

Catholic schools, parish faith formation, evangelization, youth ministry and young adult ministry programs in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis serve 230,086 Catholics in 151 parishes and missions and 71 schools in 11 deaneries throughout a

39-county area of central and southern Indiana comprising some 13,757 square miles with a population of more than 2.4 million people.

Contact information for Office of Catholic Education

Location: 1400 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1410, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1410
Local phone: 317-236-1430
Toll Free: 800-382-9836, ext. 1430
Fax: 317-261-3364
E-mail: indyocs@archindy.org
Web site: www.archindy.org/oce